Removing Blemishes

It's not a pretty topic, but there are simple ways to zap zits, to get rid of the blemishes that plague otherwise healthy skin. Here are the basics you need to know.

Just about everybody has squeezed a blackhead. It's not an aesthetically pleasing experience, but moving the stuffing of a pimple or blackhead actually does lower the pressure on the pore and minimize further damage. Squeezing is not a problem if you don't damage your skin by squeezing incorrectly.

How do you squeeze a blackhead or pimple the right way?

First of all, don't squeeze too hard. You do not want to pinch the skin, scrape it with your fingernails, or bruise it. If you leave marks on your skin, you are squeezing so hard that you are doing more harm than good.

Squeeze gently. The lightest pressure is best. Even if you cannot see that you moved the "stuff" in the blackhead or the pimple, just relieving pressure on the pore will help. You may have to wait several days to see the results.

Steaming the face is not a great idea, either. Hot water can enter skin cells and cook them. You may get rid of the oils blocking your pores, but you can get rid of the whole pore in the process (not a pretty sight).

Instead, wash gently. Wash your entire face with a gentle cleanser, one that does not make your skin tingle, itch, or burn, and pat your face dry.

Put a slightly warm (just warm enough to feel warm, definitely not hot) damp cloth over your face. Leave it on for 15 minutes. Once again, pat your face dry with a clean towel (the cleanliness of your towels being essential to your skin health), and repeat.

Using a tissue over the tip of your finger to make sure you do not break the skin, apply gentle pressure all the way around, not on, the blackhead or pimple until the blocked and oxidized oils begin to move.

It is not necessary to try to do surgery. If you cannot remove a blemish the second time you apply gentle pressure, assume it cannot be removed. Don't try to remove blackheads and pimples more than once a week. The healing of your skin from the inside out has to do most of the work.

Every time you remove blemishes, finish with a treatment with 2.5 per cent benzoyl peroxide, or if irritation, redness, or itching is a problem, a milk of magnesia mask. Applying milk of magnesia directly to the face and allowing it to dry, then washing off 15 minutes later, will relieve irritation and nourish the skin with inexpensive but effective antioxidants.